Though the night was meant celebrate the works of the artists going into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, there was one very special moment that took place at the Rock Hall induction ceremony honoring an artist who sadly won't be around should his band ever be inducted. Heart vocalist Ann Wilson and Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell teamed up to perform a stirring rendition of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" in honor of the late Chris Cornell, who took his life last year. Fan-shot video can be seen above, but you can also look for the performance to surface as part of the HBO edited special that will air on May 5.

However, Cantrell addressed press on hand at the Rock Hall ceremony, speaking about how he came to be part of the tribute and discussing his longtime association with Cornell coming up through Seattle's music scene.

In the clip below, from Cleveland.com, Cantrell stated, "Chris was a friend for many years, an incredible artist, a wonderful human being. I’ve always been inspired by his work ethic and talent, and his band Soundgarden they were a big influence on us. It’s obviously very sad, I still don’t really know how to discuss it personally, but I think at this point it’s time to maybe focus on the type of man that he was, and the type of human being, and the type of artist. Incredible depth."

He continued, "Our bands helped each other in the early days, we were all under the same roof with Susan Silver managing them, Kelly Curtis managing Mother Love Bone and then Pearl Jam, and they jointly managed us. We were all in the same law office over the central tavern, and that was the home base. I’m going to miss him immensely, but I also celebrate his life and his life’s work."

Speaking about his involvement in the night's tribute, Cantrell stated, "Ann called me and said she was thinking about doing something for our friend, and asked me if I would join her. Anytime she calls I’m there, and if it’s for Chris of course, absolutely."

The singer-guitarist also revealed that Alice in Chains are currently mixing their new album and that they've signed with BMG.

In addition to Cantrell and Wilson's nod to Cornell, the evening also featured The Killers paying tribute to the late Tom Petty.

Jerry Cantrell Speaks About Chris Cornell at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame